My worst nightmare has always been  to have to leave my home  and take my family, with only what we can carry,  into an unknown future.  I saw it on newscasts when I was a child and I am still seeing it.  But for an accident of birth, it could be any of us - parents, grandparents, children...

Its scary, but I have good boots and a sound itinerary.  I am not in the hands of people smugglers. I would like to raise a few quid to help those who were not born in the right part of the world.  It really could have been any of us.  So I will walk. When it hurts, I will remember footage of people on crutches or pushing a grandparent in a wheelbarrow.  

In August 2015, our family decided to deliver what we could to the new "jungle" developing in Calais as then, there were no effective aid agencies operating there. From this Blandford CARES  (Collecting Aid for Refugees - Europe and Sudan) was born. Although the "Jungle" has come and gone the situation in northern France is now even worse despite the humanitarian efforts of Care4Calais and L'Auberge des Migrants to mitigate the plight of the 1000+ refugees now sleeping rough in the area.

Over the past 30 months our local group has made 

• 15 delivery trips to the Calais L'Auberge warehouse
• Worked 42 days in their warehouse and kitchens.  
• Organised no fewer than 39 deliveries to other European camps via Taunton R.A.F.T (Refugee Aid From Taunton). 
• Distributed donated funds to the tune of well over £5,000 mainly to the Refugee Community Kitchen and L"Auberge warehouse.

BUT... Although we are very familiar with the Calais situation, the plight of those seeking safety from Syrian and other conflicts has been just what everyone has seen in the news.

Not Good Enough!  

The opportunity to walk the route from Thessaloniki to Sonja to raise awareness and money was too good an opportunity to miss. I was lucky enough to get the last place on this experience of my lifetime.

Even though it is a 240 km trek, I will not have to carry all my worldly possessions with me, nor will I have to sleep under hedges or suffer the less than kindly attentions of the local authorities but, as a fit 60 year old I can get more idea of what those refugees of my age with health problems and disabilities and probably responsibilities to dependents face after crossing from Turkey or Africa in the hands of "people smugglers"

What are we are asking from you?

We aim to raise at least £2000 each to donate to "Refugee Support" and promote awareness of what is frankly a 21st century humanitarian disgrace. If you just share the information about this challenge it would be great but we ask for your direct support if you feel able to.

My travel costs will not be taken from these donations.

You may not have heard of Blandford CARES till now but if you wish to know more you can find us on Face Book or mail us on hearn@forumsprings.plus.com for information.

We will be posting updates on how the training goes for this trek and hopefully during the walk itself, on Blandford CARES and also via news letters to those on our mailing list.

Thank You for reading and helping. 

Suzi Hearn